Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

A elderly care giver and an elderly man.

In a recently released congressional report, it was noted that instances of physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse are rampant among many nursing homes and elderly care facilities throughout the United States. In fact, more than 5,200 nursing home facilities were cited for approximately 9,000 instances of elderly abuse over a two year period, with almost 1,600 of these citations being of such a serious nature that the residents were placed in a situation that could have resulted in serious personal injury – even death. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a nursing home abuse incident, that individual may be eligible to receive financial compensation for any injuries that they may have sustained – including costs associated with the medical care of those injuries, outpatient treatment, medication, pain and suffering and other expenses related to the care of any damages caused.

To learn more, simply fill out the “CONFIDENTIAL EVALUATION” form located above.

Common Signs Of Nursing Home Abuse

In most instances, there can be some easy to identify signals that abuse victims will often display if they are being mistreated at their care facility. Some of these include:

Bed Sores or Pressure Ulcers
Bruises
Short temper or a change in demeanor
Weight loss
Withdrawal from activities
Cuts & Abrasions

While there can be a variety of causes for some of these symptoms, it’s important for family members and loved ones to visit their elderly residents often, to ensure that their care needs are being met in a safe and caring environment.

Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse

With more than 17,000 nursing homes spread throughout the U.S, it’s important to note that not all staff members at these residences are adequately trained to cater to the needs of their elderly patients. Due to this lack of training, many caregivers do not have the understanding and patience to handle many of the situations that can arise at their facility. Unfortunately, some of these staff members passively or aggressively lash out at the residents, often resulting in serious personal injuries. In most nursing home abuse cases, these damages are categorized into two separate areas: Abuse by definition, means to intentionally cause harm, damage or pain to an individual or object. In most instances, this can result in:

Physical Abuse / Assault – punching, shoving, slapping, spitting, force feeding, shoving, rough handling
Emotional / Psychological Abuse – cursing at a resident, threats, berating, ignoring, ridiculing
Sexual Abuse – seduction, coercion, improper touching, rape

It’s important to note that abuse can also come from an intruder to the premises or from another person that is NOT a staff member of the facility.

Neglect is one of the most frequent types of injury in nursing homes, as it is often repeatedly performed over a longer period of time, with the United States Congress acknowledging it as “truly a national tragedy.” The National Citizens Coalition of Nursing Home Reform has cited neglect as being:

Lack of bathing
Substandard washing techniques
Ignoring cries or alarm bells asking for help
Not providing assistance while walking
Incorrect medication dosages or administering techniques
Lack of assistance with feeding or drinking
Incorrectly positioning bodies when stationary
Understaffing
Accepting more patients then the home can care for

…. Amongst many others. Unfortunately, resident neglect is often more difficult for loved ones to identify early on; therefore it’s important for family members and other related individuals to keep a close watch on the standards of the facility that is looking after their elderly loved one.

Common Types of Injuries

The result of abuse and neglect generally surfaces in physical wounds that can be very serious to elderly residents due to their immune systems often being compromised due to the medication that they may be taking, or simply from old age. Some of these injuries include:

Broken Bones
Bruising
Scarring
Bed Sores or Pressure Ulcers
Malnutrition
Dehydration

As recovery times for the elderly are often longer than they are for people of a younger age, any physical or psychological injuries that an elderly person receives must be addressed immediately.

What to Look For In a Nursing Home

When looking for an appropriate facility to care for your loved one, there can be some easy-to-identify areas of a facility that can highlight the type of care that residents can experience on a day to day basis. Some of these include (but are not limited to):

What conditions are the buildings in?
Are the grounds and fauna well kept?
Are social activities planned and held on a regular basis?
Do the staff seem to care about the residents?
Do all of the appliances work?
Is the heating and cooling of the premises sufficient for the geographical location of the facility?
Is there wheel chair access to most or all areas?
Are there hand railings in most or all areas?
Talk to the residents – are they content and happy with the facility?
What is the overall ambience like?
Are any religious services held?
Does the facility smell clean?

It’s also worth researching the facility online. There are often governmental and public reviews of nursing home facilities, along with information about any positive or negative press about the care center. In addition, visit Medicare’s Nursing Home Comparison website

Need Help? Contact Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Today

With a genuine understanding that most families do not want to place their loved ones into a care facility – but often have little to no other alternative due to a variety of circumstances – our lawyers can help fight for the rights of elderly individuals that have been injured while under the care and supervision of a nursing home facility. Keeping this in mind, it’s often traumatic for the families of nursing home abuse victims to learn that their loved one is being hurt while in the care of a facility that was supposed to improve the quality of life of their elderly friend or family member. If you or someone you love has become the victim of nursing home abuse, our team of attorneys have the experience and determination to help stand up for their rights and fight for the MAXIMUM injury compensation that they may be entitled to receive. Our head office is located in Houston, TX and we proudly provide nursing home abuse victims throughout the United States with comprehensive legal counsel for those in:

…. And most cities and towns that surround those areas. To find out how we can help, contact us today at 1-888-CLAIM-68 (1-888-252-4668) and a member from our intake team will quickly connect you to one of our attorneys that is best suited to handling your specific case.

Alternatively, simply fill out the “CONFIDENTIAL EVALUATION” form located at the top of this page.